Unified Love
by GiVe-ME-BaCk-MY-ToOtHbRuSh
Summary: A letter written by Ushio was meant 4 Haine and Haine only. But how can this single letter go through so many hearts? Read and find out. Nobody leaves without a happy ending. LAST CHAPTER OUT! Thanks you guys!
1. The Coincidental MixUp

**Unified Love**

Synopsis: A letter written by Ushio was meant for Haine and Haine only. But how can a single letter go through so many hearts? See how this note of fate opens everyone's feelings and naturally brings them together with who they were destined to be with. Nobody leaves without a happy ending.

The love bonds? Well, let's just say that their _all_ connected, directly or indirectly. Listing them out would take a while…hehe…scratches head and hopes excuse would hide away the laziness

**A/N:**

The manga by Arina Tanemura is very much past this, obviously, after you read. I decided to keep 'Shizumasa' still fairly distant from Haine, Maora to keep that Mailman issue a secret still, and other stuff not past Volume 3. (Except for Maora's true feelings, maybe.) I'm not gonna bother putting in the real Shizumasa-sama either. (Please don't kill me if you like Shizumasa, but I like Takanari better.)

One more thing to say: Not much spoilers…or so I _think. _

**And another thing...the beginning SUCKS!!! I know that, and you probably know that, if you're gonna read. So yeah...plz be patient with me and ignore that frustration to continue. The other chapters are better. This one's just to pass the stall in the action. You dig? (FYI, this was the bolded A/N for those who are wondering still.) **

Disclaimer: Why do we have to do this? You know I don't own Shinshi Doumei Cross. Tanemura does.

"_We may see differently…hear differently;_

_But the one sense that we all have in common…is the sense of our hearts…"_

_-By someone very special to me. _

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 1: The Mix-Up**

Drooling from a long moment of daydreaming, Haine wiped her chin, continuing to lean on her broom. She brushed her braids to her back and stood up straight, gazing at the setting sun.

"Already?" she said to herself, blowing a strand of hair off her face. Even after a while of being the fake platnium with her beloved Shizumasa-sama, she still couldn't believe that she was this close to him. Just a little more effort from her and she might be able to open up his heart.

There was barely anyone left on campus. She had felt a bit lonely cleaning up by herself afterschool. Not even Mailman-san stopped by to see her. Haine sighed and went to put back her broom and maid uniform.

When she got out after changing, she spotted Ushio waiting on a nearby bench. Ushio, seeing Haine, stood up and gave one of her rare smiles that were only reserved for her. Feeling special and overwhelmed with happiness, Haine blushed scarlet and collided Ushio in her arms.

"YAY! USHIO! USHIO! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAME TO SEE ME TODAY! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU, USHIO!"

And as always, Ushio felt that hard thump of her heart whenever Haine touched her. Regaining her train of thought, she replied as usual, "Of course…"

But there seemed to be something else that she wanted to say to Haine. After waiting for her to finish up her embrace, Ushio stood back to look at Haine in the face. Haine, looking back with glittering eyes and a grin as big as a watermelon, noticed the hesitation in her best friend's usually composed eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Ushio?" Haine asked in concern.

"H-haine…" Ushio began, "There's something I've been wanting to give you…" Haine patiently waited as Ushio fumbled to take out a piece of paper sealed with a gold and red ribbon. For Ushio to mess up like this probably meant that the note was pretty important. Haine took the note and held it in both of her hands, examining the neatness of the wrapping. Her name wasn't on there as she had expected though.

"Please read it when you get home today," Ushio ordered.

Confused and curious, Haine nodded, bringing her eyes back up to Ushio, about to say her thanks when she found her instantly gone.

_Where did she go?_

Haine looked side to side and seeing nothing but open space, shouted out her name, "USHIO?!? USHIO?!? Where are you?"

Ushio couldn't have run that fast. _Unless…_And then she gasped.

_Maybe that was a ghost pretending to be Ushio who gave me this letter. That explains Ushio's timidness and why she was trembling…hmm...but that can't be true…can it?_

Haine continued to debate back and forth with herself and then slapped her face in disgust. She was always the out-of-the-box thinkers.

_GAH! _Her brain shouted, _Are you going mad? You're going to be late for dinner if you don't go home now, Haine. _

She nodded to herself and kept on her mental conversation with her conscience as she walked home; clutching the unnamed letter that Ushio had gave her.

* * *

Breathing heavily behind a building apparently, Ushio did run that fast. She peeked out from its corner, watching Haine make expressions readable as letters on a parchment. 

_So I'm a ghost? _Ushio thought. _You're the strangest friend ever, you know that, Haine?_

Ushio chuckled and then placed her back on the side of the building, letting out a big, anxious breath.

'_Friend' huh...That's all __**I**__ am…_

True. As close as Ushio was to Haine, their thoughts of each other were different as black and white. Haine was never a friend in Ushio's mind…never.

For the letter she had just given Haine was a confession. A confession that explained Haine was the one. The only one for her. The only one she's **willingly** to make happy and the only one she **needs** to be happy.

But she wasn't sure if that's how Haine felt. Or could ever feel for her. Haine nowadays kept talking about Shizumasa-sama, Shizumasa-sama, Shizumasa-sama. And it sickened her to death how Haine hadn't noticed that she let all these men get on her just so Haine could step in and pay attention to her more. She couldn't hold it in any longer. The pain was unbearable now. And this was the only way.

_Love me or no?_

And it was all up to Haine now.

* * *

Maguri was walking around the neighborhood out of bordem that evening―thinking of Shizun…and also, to his amazement…his childhood friend, Maora. 

_All because of that new __**platnium**_ he sneered Haine's nickname. _It's all because of her that Shizun doesn't pay much attention to me…even though he doesn't much anyway. And that Maora, always getting me when I am trying to stop them from their pitiful chemistry. Such a pain in the neck. _

He found a stick lying on the pavement and picked it up, scratching it along the fence beside him. With his eyes closed and his mp3 blasting in his ears, he hadn't noticed a figure running into him.

At the sudden shock, he was knocked back, eyes opened wide now, ready for the impact of the ground. But before he could blink again, the figure grabbed his arm and pulled him back up. He saw a red ribbon sprinkled in gold fall to the ground instead.

"Ah, is that you Maguri?" the familiar voice spoke out.

Maguri got to his feet, brushed himself, and slightly blushed, seeing the figure's identity. "Well, speak of the devil. What are you doing here…Maora?"

Maora gave him his well-known, teethy grin while cradling Okorimakuri-kun.

"I decided to go visit Haine, right now," He winked and added, "Okorimakuri-kun and I are bored to death with nothing interesting going on at our place." He bent down and picked up the dropped ribbon, tying it back onto his bangs.

"Everything always has to be about Haine huh?" Maguri mumbled, turning around so Maora couldn't see his cheeks heating with red. "Haine, Haine, Haine. I'm sick of hearing her name all the time. She's not even that amazing."

_Why am I red? _Maguri wondered during the moment of silence. _And especially in front of him? _Maguri rubbed his temples for composition. He turned his eyes unnoticably behind him to take in the skimpy halter top and shorts Maora wore.

Maora, in change of personality, looked down at his feet and asked, "Are you jealous that she's with Shizun?"

The truth was, Maora cared much about his childhood friend. No. Loved his childhood friend. Loved him and cross-dressed to make their relationship seem possible. Loved him so much that he made himself decide to love Haine instead. Yes, it wasn't true love. The true love inside him belonged to Maguri. And that was no lie. But Maora knew that Maguri could never feel the same way as him. But there was something else too. Intertwined with what he felt, Maora also felt a small hate for Maguri…a hate he didn't understand why he hated.

But the answer was so easy that it seemed even the intellectual Maora couldn't get it.

"Perfect answer, Captain Obvious," Maguri replied sarcastically, still facing the fence.

Was it really perfect?

"I just wish to be rid of this feeling…" he admitted.

Maora went red in turn, looking up with hands on his chest, tears looming out from his eyes.

_Dangit, why should a guy cry? _Maora thought, trying hard to rub the moisture off his lids. _Even if Maguri doesn't feel the same way I feel, I still want to try._

And he did, suggesting, "Then don't be jealous. Stop looking at Shizun and, and…"

"And what, Maora?!?!" Maguri cried furiously, finally tunring around to face him.

_And look at me, _Maora wanted to say. The first time in which he confessed to Maguri was very, very painful already, _cause baka-Maguri didn't even take it seriously _and Maora didn't want to risk his own heart any further.

Seeing the sad look on his face, Maguri raked his hands through his hair and sighed, changing his tone of voice, "You know what…just forget it, ok? You should go visit Haine now before the sun goes away." He spun his stick in his hands and brushed it mercilessly on the fence, breaking it. He plugged his earphones back into place and went.

"Maguri…" Maora lingered on his name, seeing him stroll off on the sidewalk.

"Oh yeah," Maguri stopped for a second, glancing at Maora again, "Be careful on your way back. You'd past as a better looking girl than most, so perverts are bound to getcha. Have fun." He waved his hand without looking back at him and continued on his way.

Maora, as worried/mad as he was about Maguri, suppressed that and forced himself off…to Haine.

* * *

Haine had breathlessly reached home at last. But before she could take off her shoes and settle down, Ryokka-san had ran up to her shooting questions like, "Haine-chan, are you hungry? Haine-chan, would you like me to run a bath for you? Hanie-chan, are you tired? Do you want a massage?" 

And as always, Haine politely refused all the relaxing suggestions and said that she wanted to change out of her Student Council uniform first.

Understanding her privacy, Ryokka-san contently watched her ascend the stairs into her adequately large room. And finally relieved of making Ryokka-san not worry too much about her, Haine took out the note that Ushio had given her. She spent a moment admiring the beautiful glittering ribbon, but before long, Ryokka-san called up to her again.

"Haine-chan! Your cute friend Maora is here!" she singsonged to the top of her lungs.

_Mao-chan? What is he doing here at a time like this?_ Haine wondered, opening the door to go fetch him. She noticed she didn't need to do that because Maora was already waving Okorimakuri-kun in front of her. Haine could have sworn she saw daisies and stars dancing around him.

"Konnichiwa, Haine-chan!!" Maora exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Hello, Mao-chan," Haine replied just as cheerfully, "What are you doing here? The sun's almost down, you know."

"I just wanted to play with you a little bit," Maora answered with a cute face. "Is it a bad time?" He tried to look innocent.

"No, no, not at all," Haine said quickly, bringing Maora into her room. Though she had homework, it was possible for her to do it later tonight. She placed the still unopened letter down on her bed and looked up at Maora. "So, what do you want to do?"

Maora sat next to Haine and absently put Okorimakuri-kun down next to the letter. The color of the letter and the always angry pet could be confused as a single object without the ribbon distinguishing the letter. Maora glimsped around the room thoughtfully with an index finger on his lips.

"Hmm…wanna play manopoly?" he suggested, pointing at Haine's opened closet of messy clothes. The board game was located just on top of all the mess.

Haine laughed sheepishly and got up to get the board game. As they were playing, Maora's ribbon fell out of his hair again.

"Darn this ribbon," muttered Maora, deciding to temporarily tie it on the steaming yet sleeping Okorimakuri-kun. But the ribbon just camouflaged them even further.

And so, Haine and Maora played around with childish games for another hour or two that by the time they finished; the moon was already up and Haine's room decorated with nightly shadows.

"Whoo, time flys by fast doesn't it…" Maora commented, getting up to stretch. "Sorry for bothering your time Haine…maybe I can help with your homework or something." Maora cocked his head at the many books on Haine's desk.

Being a good friend, Haine waved her hand and head in refusal and said "More than my grades you should be getting home safely, Mao-chan." And touched by her kindness, they gave each other a friendly hug and said their goodbyes.

And without thinking, Maora went to get Okorimakuri-kun, but hadn't noticed that he got Haine's letter instead.

Downstairs, Maora waved goodbye to Ryokka-san and Haine and left.

Walking home, Maora sighed and unfocused his eyes. _Thank you for giving me company today, Haine…_Maora thanked mentally, _I temporarily forgot of him…always temporarily…_

He walked home, palms on Haine's unopened letter.

_

* * *

_

-End of Chapter-

**A/N:** You see? You see? That beginning with Ushio and Haine was written totally weird...in my opinion. But as you now know, the plot is as you see it. Read onward for better quality.

I hope you guys liked it. I'll work on it harder so the happy ending could be made for everyone!!! Even the readers!!! Please review!!


	2. In The Hands of Another

**Chapter 2: In The Hands of Another…and Another…etc.**

With a scream of shock, Maora looked down at his hands where Okorimakuri-kun was supposed to be. He hadn't noticed that he was holding Haine's letter until he had gotten home in his room.

Calming himself down, he traced back to where he had left his angry pet.

_HAINE!!_ He answered to himself, eyes wide with realization. But something bothered him more than the fact that Haine had Okorimakuri-kun. _Ai, I hope she can handle his frenziness…I'll have to give this letter back to her tomorrow then. _He stared at the letter, inspecting the beautiful ribbon. _No wonder…_

* * *

The next morning at school for Maora was somewhat similar to any other day. All the kids would wave and greet him and he would wave back and flash his smile.

Picking up his books and bags after 3rd period, he decided to go meet Haine. With the letter in mind, Maora hadn't watched where he was running into and had bumped himself and his bag into someone.

"You're getting in the habit of running into me, Maora," Maguri sniffed, lightly shoving Maora off his chest and away from him. The letter held inside Maora's bag had fallen out of its place and onto the ground.

Maora put a hand over his eyes to block the glaring sun as he stared up at Maguri. "Then that means you're too stupid to avoid me, _Maguri_," Maora countered angrily. Maguri dared himself to stare back but instantly looked away in fear of getting lost in Maora's always glittering topaz eyes.

"Don't think too highly of yourself," he mumbled, keeping his face turned uncomfortably. He hesitated for a bit.

After yesterday's encounter with Maora, Maguri spent a lot of time looking over things about himself. He too, realized that he hadn't loved Shizun with his whole heart as he had thought. But why had he felt so hurt yesterday? Yes, it still had to do with Haine, but it wasn't about Shizun anymore.

And then he knew. It was never about Shizun. After _Maora_ voted on letting Haine in the Student Council, he hadn't felt that awesome about welcoming her. He also noticed that his jealousy over Haine was because _Maora _would always be with her instead. He felt like he had lost his childhood friend. He still had Maora's friendship, that was obvious, but was more concerned of losing his heart. To be simple, he had found out he was in love with Maora all this time…as he remembered Maora's confession so long ago.

"Hmph…out of my way, blondie." Maora pushed Maguri aside in impatience after waiting so long for Maguri to move. He stomped off with his nose high and proud.

Maguri had tripped over himself, but quickly got up to growl at Maora, "Hey! Get back over here!!! I'm not done talking to you!!!" Bringing it out bluntly, Maguri had wanted to ask Maora out, but had obviously lost his chance.

Maora ignored him and kept his pace.

"So that's why nobody likes you!" Maguri continued to screech, forgetting for a moment why he wanted to ask him out, "You're too THICKSKINNED!!!"

Maora went furious at that comment and ran back to slap Maguri on the cheek. He walked off steaming, leaving Maguri awed and rubbing his bruised face.

_I need to see Haine…_Maora thought desperately, running now. What he was really thinking was: _I need to see Haine to get Maguri off my mind._ Maora brushed an arm across his eyes to get rid off the approaching tears.

* * *

Maguri looked after Maora, feeling even more hurt that he had hurt Maora. He shouldn't have said that.

The spring breeze tangled his hair and blew the wrapped note into his sight. In distraction, he picked it up. _Looks kinda like what Maora wore yesterday,_ he observed, feeling the texture of the bow between his fingers. Eyes big now, he remembered Maora abandoning it after crashing into him. He shot his eyes around the campus for any sign of him, but found no one.

He blew out his breath and tapped the note on his available palm.

Curious, he decided that whatever was in the note, it must have belonged to Maora and that Maora wouldn't worry if he read it or not. Right?

Walking toward his next class, he neatly loosened the ribbon, stuffed it in his pocket and unfolded the letter. Maguri stopped in mid-step, almost hyperventilating as he quickly scanned the whole page.

_Love me or no?!?_ he repeated from the letter. Whether this was a confession for a new crush Maora developed, he wouldn't know. But he had to know. He needed to know. And he wouldn't wait, even if it meant ditching class.

He instantly pivited around to go find Maora, but in his rush bumped into someone else. _Dammit…_ The confession letter flew out of his hands. He guessed Maora was right about him being too stupid to watch where he was going.

* * *

Maora ran to his next class where Haine was sitting, shaking feverishly with Okorimakuri-kun in her hands. He had guessed she found out about the unintentioned swap too.

"Err…hi there, Haine-chan!" Maora greeted awkwardly, giving off a strange smile.

"MAO-CHAN!!!" Haine sobbed, fresh tears gushing out. She shoved Okorimakuri-kun in his hands and waited, face still held in a sad expression.

"Right, right, I have your letter, Haine, so don't worry."

"Did you read it?" Haine asked childishly.

"I swear I didn't. I couldn't stand Haine-chan to look even sadder could I?" he beamed back, searching through his bag for the note.

"Oh, Mao-chan, you're the best!" Haine had to explain to Ushio that morning that she couldn't read the letter because of…issues at home. She fibbed that her toilet was squirting out like crazy and that all the pipes had to be fixed and stuff like that. Ushio forgivingly said to just read it as soon as possible.

But Haine's bubbling anticipation settled when she saw the worried look on Maora's face.

"Haine…" Maora said, knowing that he didn't need to explain. He had lost it. But what made Maora look even more worried was that he remembered dropping it with…Maguri.

Haine, in utter shock, sat frozen in her seat and thought about the worse that could happen.

* * *

Kusame scratched his bumped head and hurt bottom, cursing. A small folded piece of paper he held blasted out of his hands.

Komaki, President of the Middle School Branch, had wanted him to get the list of supplies for the up-coming Masked Ball at the Imperial Academy. He had taken all night to _neatly_ write them all down (an order by Komaki) on _felt-like_ paper, which must be folded _nicely _into a formal letter (also to Komaki's request). Letting Komaki wait any longer would conclude in a disaster.

But Kusame had bumped into a stranger…no wait, upper-classman…no, Maguri-sempai, also Vice-president, but of the High School Branch.

_Just great._ Kusame thought sullenly. _Vice meeting vice._ He stood up, mumbling an apology.

"Ah, that's alright," Maguri replied in the same unimportant tone, bending down to grab his fallen letter. Kusame did the same, bowing and rushing off to the much waiting Komaki.

Maguri watched him speed off, scratching his head and opening Maora's confession letter for a last minute check. _Dammit…_ he repeated, turning his eyes to Kusame who had already disappeared.

All there was in his hands was a list of different items written in calligraphy. This hadn't belonged to Maora (obviously). The bell for the end of passing period rang like background music in his ears as he realized that...

_Kusame had the letter._

* * *

HEY! Maguri stole my line at that last part there!!! Lol, whatever.

-End of Chapter-

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter better than the last. I'll do my best to get better at it. Please comment.

* * *


	3. Chaos and Confusion

**Chapter 3: Chaos and Confusion**

_Where IS that Kusame?!?_ Komaki thought furiously, raking her hands through her long hair. The bell had already rung, and she was already in her seat. Different possibilities rushed through her head. _Had he decided to ditch class? Of course the teacher is boring, but…could it be that it's because of me?_

She exhaled, not knowing if her tone was filled with anger or dispair. Dispair of what? It was pretty obvious that Kusame loved someone else. Someone like her big sister. And she couldn't hate or feel jealous of her loving Haine.

It just sucked that she had to be in the middle. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, if she occupied Kusame with Student Council work that he would maybe start liking her. But ever since she decided that, it just got worse and worse, and now it was impossible to not notice _his_ hatred for _her._

_I'm probably better off…_she discouraged herself. She cupped her hand under her chin, listening to the ongoing lectures of the teacher.

BANG! A gush of wind blew into the classroom. Komaki staggered in her chair as Kusame approached breathlessly into the empty seat to her left.

The teacher, who was strangely oblivious of Kusame's loud entry, continued her monotone speech.

"Sor…ry,"—gasp—"for…be…ing,"—gasp—"late…" he whispered with effort, still trying to get his heart rate down.

Komaki was thrilled that Kusame actually apologized to her. Through all the hard work she put on him, he was actually somewhat nicer…still distant, but a bit clearer.

"Uhh, that's….alright," Komaki assured after gaping at him.

Kusame wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Oh…yeah, here's the….thing you….asked for," he said, reaching into his pocket.

He flashed the party list in her face while putting his own face down in his arms on the desk.

"Thanks," she murmered, trembling as she took the list from his hand. He dropped his arm instantly to his chest.

"Ugh," he moaned.

Suddenly scared, Komaki breathed a bit loudly, "Kusame! Are you ok? What's wrong? Asthma? Do you need CPR? Heart attack?" Yes, too _many_ possibilities rushed through her head.

Kusame glared at her from under his arm and hissed, "What are you, an idiot? My heart's on the other side!" He gestured his right hand on the right side of his chest. He took a moment to breathe and answered, "I think it's a chest cramp."

Komaki couldn't think of anything better to say than, "Oh." After an uncomfortable moment, Kusame let out another grunt. "Should I take you to the school doctor?" she asked, getting her courage up to look at his distressed face.

"No, that's—ugh…" Kusame tried to refuse.

Komaki arrogantly stood up, grabbed Kusame's hand, and pulled him out the door without a glance from the teacher or students…advantage of being president of the Middle School side.

Kusame ogled her as he was hauled out, but couldn't resist; his chest hurt too much. It was either that or because his heart flew down to his stomach. He held tighter onto her hand, feeling the soothing coolness relaxing his sweaty palms.

_Whether or not Kusame likes me, I'm not giving up…and that's that._

Komaki supressed the urge to cry, rendering her pain into the letter she unknowingly held tightly to her chest.

* * *

"Touya," Takanari called out from his bedroom in the Student Council office. He got out of his slumber and walked to look out the window.

Touya came rushing in like any faithful servant would do.

"Yes, Tak—er, Shizumasa-sama?" He chuckled sheepishly, stopping when he saw the blazing eyes of Takanari.

Touya couldn't decide whether those hostile eyes were dangerous or vulnerable. Maybe both. But they weren't aimed at him. They burned out through the window, where Takanari spotted three of the Student Council members: Maguri, Maora, and…Haine.

Haine, the girl who walked into his life. Haine, the girl who stomped all over his heart. Haine, the girl who changed it into something uninterpretable.

Haine, the girl who would either make him hate the world even more or fall heads over heels for it. Haine, the girl who made _his_ world spin. And part of him couldn't take it. Yet part of him couldn't stop.

And it all circled around his identity. Shizumasa. If there was life without him, he wouldn't be hurting like this. He would go straight into love's unknown territory.

Seeing her chit-chatting away with the others, Takanari forced his eyes off the glass and shot them directly at Touya, who looked back with plain anxiousness.

"I need an asprin," he ordered rasply, "please…" Takanari held tightly onto his head, feeling the ground quaver. But it wasn't the first time he felt like this. Hate for the world was hard to handle when it has entered your heart. But so was love.

"Right away, sir," Touya dismissed himself, running to the School's Health Office.

As Takanari sat on the ground, he thought to himself, _**Could **__I love her? _Knowing that it was pratically impossible, he leaned back on the wall and closed his eyes.

_But you can't give up, _a voice spoke to him_. Shizumasa took your life, your name, your freedom. There's only one thing he cannot take. And that is your heart. _Understanding those words, Takanari opened his eyes, and struggled to stand up, bringing his attention contently back to the girl of his dreams.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah….I just noticed that so far, all the mushy-gushy stuff I put in here are kind of…corny. Honestly, I don't act/talk like this in real life. Just read it…sorry if it sounds kind of stupid. I'll try to get to the point as quickly as possible.

* * *

A hand reached out and yanked Maora's arm. He was just walking alongside the utterly panicking Haine after class.

"Gah!" he yelped, feeling another hand wrapping around his waist. Maora tried to struggle out of the strong hold.

"Can you just relax for a moment? I just need a minute," Maguri's soft voice spoke next to his ear. He'd been longing to touch Maora ever since he made him mad a while ago.

Haine just stood there, arguing with herself about whether she should smack Maguri on the head and ask him for Ushio's letter or leave the two be and just blush.

Trapped in the tight bear hug, Maora gasped, "Can't…breathe…." _Stupid Maguri…_But he didn't want him to stop. He leaned his head slowly toward the curve in Maguri's shoulder, feeling satisfied for the moment. Even if it would hurt him later.

Feeling Maora inch closer, Maguri released his hold and pushed him back, clearing his throat. They spent the next second spellbinded by the other's eyes, both revealing pain.

Seeing the two break, Haine jumped in, looking up patiently at Maguri's face. Maora turned his head away in aguish, hating himself for letting Maguri fool him again.

"What do you want?" Maguri said in disgust after looking at his rival's cheeriness. At the while, he glanced at Maora's face.

_I did it again, didn't I?_

"You know very well what I want," Haine replied with a pout.

Maguri creased his brows together, "Err…not…really, to be honest…" He kept his eyes on Maora.

"Urgh, you're such an idiot!" Maora cried out, his voice cracking, "Quit playing around and tell us where you put the letter!" He didn't even look at Maguri while saying that.

Shocked by Maora's tone, he didn't say anything until Haine jabbed him in the ribs.

"Ow!" He caressed his side and admitted, "Ok, ok. I don't have it. It's…being kept by someone else at the moment…" He tried to look apologetic, not to Haine, but to Maora. Maora's expession, though, was no different than Okorimakuri-kun's.

"WHO…HAS…IT….?!?" Haine seperated the words, trying hard to keep her hands from punching Maguri. Maguri didn't hear, of course, and earned another jab.

"It's not like it belonged to _you_, though, right?" he asked huskily, keeping his eyes locked on Maora.

"Of course it belonged to _me_, who else?!" she yelled. Maguri took his eyes off of Maora to look surprised at Haine.

"So the stuff written in there were—"

Maguri was cut off when Haine roar of anger blasted through his ears, "**YOU READ THE LETTER?!?!**"

"I-It was an accident!" Maguri claimed, raising his hands inbetween Haine and him. Maora shifted his eyes to see Maguri's innocent and scared appearance. He let out a small smirk. "You see, I thought it belonged to…" Maguri stopped, looking hesitantly back to Maora.

"I don't care for your excuses," Haine shook her head furiously, "Just tell me who has it now."

"Kusame."

"Kusame?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

_What the hell is going on here? _Haine, distracted by the many confusing mix-ups, ran defiantly to the Middle School side.

Maora was about to go help Haine, but was stopped in mid-step, a warm hand twisting him back into Maguri's hold.

"Wait."

_Not again,_ Maora thought desperately.

"Why should I?" Maora gulped, trying hard to control his erratic heart.

"Because I have something to say to you," Maguri blew a cool breath behind Maora's neck.

"Well I have nothing I want to listen to," he returned, shivering.

Maguri snorted, "I don't care if you _want _to listen or not, you'll _need_ to."

"Look, I don't know what you read in the letter but you've mistaken—"

"I don't care if you wrote the letter or not…" Maguri took Maora's waist and turned him around to face him. "I love you. Will you go out with me?"

Maora's burning face went pale at his words. The words he longed for everyday, every night, were finally spoken. He didn't know whether this was just another dream. That once he woke up, he would find himself torn, depressed, crying.

Maguri waited for a response, but got nothing. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he muttered.

Silence. Maguri took Maora's shoulders and shook them. "Maora…" Silence. The sting of the stern reply (even if it wasn't anything) shot a hole through his chest. His hands shook, releasing his hold, and looking ashamed and broken. Tears started swelling up in his eyes, blurring his vision.

"Don't," Maora finally spoke, stepping up to him. His slender fingers brushed Maguri's cheeks and rubbed away the tears. "Don't cry or I won't love you."

Maguri froze. And before he knew it, he cupped the back of Maora's head and pulled him up, ravenous mouth upon ravenous mouth.

* * *

Senri heard a small creak behind the curtains of the bed in his office. He sighed, betting himself on who it could be.

A minute later, the curtains opened, revealing a half-naked male student clothing himself and a young lady lying limp on the bed. Spotting Senri sitting by his desk, the male student blushed and ran through the door.

"Such a naughty girl. I wonder if I should satisfy myself with you too," he huffed.

"Shut up," Ushio said rather roughly.

"Oh?" Senri raised his eyebrows, slightly amused. "Usually you would ignore my comments. Feeling a little change nowadays?"

"Shut…up," Ushio repeated, eyes aware and senses open. She jumped up from the mattress. "Someone's close by…"

* * *

_Huff…Huff_

"Here, we made it," Komaki exclaimed. "Come'on, just a little more." They were in a 50 feet range of the Health Office.

"Hold on a sec." Kusame held even harder onto his chest. "I think running here just made the cramp worse." He fell to his knees, groaning in agony.

"Kusame!" Komaki bent down next to him. _Oh no, I can't let him die here!_ She panicked with guilt. And she definitely couldn't get him to the School Doctor without dragging him across the pavement. "Someone! Anyone! I need help!" she screamed at the barren campus.

In the far shadows, she saw a figure approaching.

* * *

"Kusame! Where are you?!?!" Haine yelled at the top of her lungs. All she saw were other middle-schoolers minding thier own business. Boy would she be in big trouble if Ushio found out that she had lost her letter…again.

She spun in a circle, fear building up in her as she looked frantically at all the faces around her.

_Kusame…_

Haine had a small feeling that more trouble was going to be heading her way.

* * *

Takanari sat down in his chair after seeing Haine run off. Whatever the conversation happening down there, it didn't seem to please her. He was about to walk out to get her until he spotted Maguri and Maora hand in hand….held tightly in an embrace.

He watched the couple, and to his amazement, he cracked a congratulating grin. His smile faded for a moment when he squinted his eyes, seeing a ribbon fall out of Maguri's pocket and onto the ground.

It fluttered in the wind, inching towards him as if it was cajoling him to pick it up.

* * *

-End of Chapter-

Oooo…my longest chapter so far…but I can't say it's my best. Blurgh. Sorry to unsatisfy you peoples if it sucks like I think it does. I typed this up at 11 at night after getting a bit restless. I didn't expect it to turn out to be such a long story. Happy ending will come soon…I hope...if my brain can work properly…Anyway, please review!!!

* * *


	4. Probability

**A/N: **Whooo! Finally! My next chapter! Sorry if it took forever to wait….I was on vacation in San Francisco…hehe…yeah. Just read…and review. Please. I'm in big need of encouragement or else I can't upload the next chapter. Yes, the next chapter is done as well. It all depends on my confidence to upload it. Please boost up my self-esteem.

**Chapter 4: Probability**

A hand rested on Komaki's shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?" Touya asked the fallen duo. Komaki perked her head up at the stranger, tears clouding her eyes and moisturizing her face.

"Please, help him," she sobbed, supporting Kusame's chest and back. Touya glanced at the sweaty-faced Kusame and raised his eyebrows.

"Of course," he replied with a calming and soothing voice, lifting Kusame up to his feet to stable him onto his shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to help them out, seeing as he was heading to the same place anyway.

"Thank you, so much."

With secondary help from Komaki, they carried Kusame toward the Health Office without any other words to each other.

_Please be ok,_ Komaki prayed, counting the slowing seconds passing by. She reached down for Kusame's hand, sending an energy of soft coolness from her own.

* * *

The scent of it was like strawberries mixed with jasmine. Takanari sniffed the seducing smell of the ribbon for the third time as he examined it. 

He looked up with wavering eyes, expecting Maguri and Maora to look back at him with a "he's-sorta-strange-sniffing-a-ribbon-off-the-ground" look, but it never came. On the contrary, no one was giving him any kind of look. That was probably because no one was particularly there.

It was like some kind of force drove everyone away so that he would have some alone time with the ribbon. It was almost believable.

Almost believable until he saw a familiar person heading his way.

* * *

**A/N:** That scene with Takanari and the ribbon is…strange…I know. And the worse part is **I** wrote it. Why'd I keep it here? I dunno. I was writing this while in my half-asleep, half-awake moments. At least the last sentence of that made sense…right?

* * *

"Yup, definitely chest pain," Senri informed the relaxing Kusame, who was drinking down a bottle of refigerated water. 

"But will he be ok?" Komaki asked wearily. She twitled with the unwrapped letter between her fingers.

"Sure, sure," Senri replied unimportantly, "Your boyfriend will be well soon enough."

Kusame, who had tiled his bottle back for another slug, choked it out of his mouth.

"...HAA?!?! What did you just say?!?!?!" he demanded, coughing.

"Whoa there, little man," Senri warned, patting Kusme's back. "No need to overreact, I was only playing with you. Look at Komaki-san, you don't see her complaining…"

Komaki blushed at his indirect teasing and dropped the letter out of her hands.

Touya, who was politely smiling in the backgorund came up and picked the letter off the ground.

"Komaki-san," he whispered, patting her arm.

Komaki roughly turned toward him with a stressful expression etched on her face. "Ah," she sighed back after Touya waved the letter in front of her. "Thanks."

In the company of a hiding spot at the back of the health office, Ushio silently gasped. The letter had looked exactly like the one she had given Haine. But could it really be?

_No, there's no ribbon on it. It couldn't possibly be. It can't. There's no way._

Ushio decided to let it go after reasoning that to herself, trying very hard to settle her pulse.

An awkward silence grew as Komaki, Touya, and Senri stood watching Kusame drink.

"Er…soo…" Touya began uncomfortably. After helping Kusame, he had temporarily forgotten what he was supposed to do.

"Is there something you need, Touya?" Senri read his easily seen through face.

"An advil, please," he answered quickly.

Senri moved his feet towards a cabinet next to him and pulled out a tab with a pill in it. He handed it to Touya with a "watch-him-carefully" look in his eyes. (Him being Takanari.)

Touya nodded and said, "I should go now. 'Shizumasa-sama' is waiting for me." He inclined his head to the others in the room who replied with the same. And out the door he went.

"Komaki-san, you go too," Senri suggested. "Don't worry, he can catch up with you later," he included when Komaki shot a hesitating glance back at Kusame.

Kusame looked up at her self-consciously and agreed, "Yeah, what he said."

She sighed again and surrendered, "Alright…see you in class, then." She slouched out the door, but instead of heading back to the classroom, she leaned on a wall in front of the School's Health Office to pass the time. She wasn't going to listen to them anyway.

With nothing better to do than fidget and worry more, she decided to occupy herself by looking at the details of the party list Kusame had made.

Scanning quickly through the beautifully written words, Komaki felt her heart beating just as fast. She stopped directly at the last few words:

Love me or no?

She gulped. Surely it wasn't supposed to be for her. For all she knew, it would make better sense if the letter was given to Onee-san. But there were no "ifs" in reality was there? Still, she wouldn't believe it. It WASN'T supposed to be for her. Period.

But she couldn't just hand it back to Kusame, could she? That would be like trying build a ladder as high as the sky. With popsicle sticks. Confessing to him was good enough. Was it?

Haine…she thought.

Yeah, Alright. She whould give the letter to Haine who would give it back to Kusame. Of course. And she wouldn't have to mention about it to anyone. Even him. She'll take care of the party list herself. Problem solved…or rather, sweeped under the carpet.

Haine was in the student council,…so Touya!!

Komaki snapped her head up from the letter to look for the friendly guy and saw that he wasn't that far away. He ran weird though…with his arms to the side…

She sprinted with all her strength toward him. All the while, she folded the letter neatly to how it was before.

"Touya-kun!"

Touya, who was humming while he strolled at a slow haste towards the Student Council room turned around to the one who called his name. He politely smiled at her even though he was getting a little impatient to go back to his master.

"Touya-kun, Touya-kun," Komaki huffed. She swallowed, feeling the hair raise at the back of her neck. "This letter…it belongs to Haine's _brother_...please give it to her." It was hard for her to say Kusame's name indirectly, much less actually saying it.

Touya though, couldn't hear the barely audible 'brother' part, thinking that the letter was for Haine.

A huge mistake.

Being fond of his master's love interest, Haine, he reached out his hand for the letter.

"Mmm, I'll definitely make sure she gets it," he assured with another gentle smile.

"Arigatou, Touya-kun," she replied with a bow. How many times had she said that to him? She watched him continue his bizzare jog while she stood motionless and silent.

She looked ahead at the once sunny sky now filled with ill-looking clouds. Another sigh would have excaped her if she hadn't heard a twig snap behind her.

Komaki whirled at the sound to see a confused Kusame.

"Why'd you give that to him?" he asked, stepping up closer to her. "Doushite?"

* * *

Haine ran around in circles until she was back at the place where she met up with Maguri and Maora. 

_Kusame, where ARE you?!?!_ She kept asking herself. Moving her eyes back and forth feverishly, she spotted someone she really would have loved to talk to if not for the current issue gong on.

Takanari returned her surprised gaze asking, "Haine, what are you doing (here)?" He cocked his head to the side. "You look toubled…is something wrong?"

Haine, touched by 'Shizumasa's' thoughtful questioned stuttered out a blushing reply, "No, no, how could there be anything wrong? Errr, I'm just looking for my little brother, that's all. Hehe," She flashed her usual cheery grin that usually made Takanari's heart skip a beat. This time was no different.

"Souka, souka," he nodded, brushing his thumb up and down the ribbon he still held. He needed to find an escape. Besides, he still needed that advil. Now more than ever. "Well, if I see him, I'll tell him that you were looking for him, ok?" He returned her grin with his own smile.

She awed at his gorgeous smile, a small part of her observing the ribbon he rubbed. Shaking her head up from her daze, she made her smile bigger.

Takanari misunderstood that shake for a 'no', and frowned, "So you don't want me to help?"

"Huh? Yes. I mean, No, of course I do!" she stammered.

"'No, of course you don't want me to help?'" he teased.

Haine didn't know what too say. She was down right confused. A sheepish laugh was her only reply.

"Ok, I'll tell him then. If I see him that is…"

Even more touched by his kindness, Haine bowed gratefully, replying, "Much thanks." She wanted to hug him so bad, but restrained herself from that urge to continue on her search.

Letting herself have one more look at her hearo before he was out of her sight, she finally noticed the similarity of the ribbon he had in his hands and the ribbon Ushio used on her letter. Slowing to a sudden halt, she turned back, confused and inquisitive.

Was it one and the same?

_Let's find out,_ she told herself, tracing back her steps to the Student Council room.

* * *

-End of Chapter- 

**A/N:** Whoo!!! Again! I can't believe I wrote another chapter. It's was pretty short cause I wanted to put something up for those who were waiting. So yeah, like I said, tell me if you like it!!! (review!)

* * *


	5. Inner Thoughts

**Chapter 5: Inner Thoughts**

**A/N:** Dedicated to all those who read this. This one's a special one to you guys! It's different from the other 4 chapters because A) 5 is my favorite number and B) I wanted to change things up a bit. If you read the chapter title, you'll get an idea of what's so different about it. Enjoy it, it's a long one. (And sorry it took almost a month to upload…the school year just started in a craze. Forgive me!!)

* * *

_I keep telling myself, "It's just a phase, it's just a phase. I'll get over it…"—but as my days drag on with every minute spent next to you, I feel myself getting weaker and weaker. So weak, I don't understand how I'm still able to stand…_

"Where do you think you're going?"

_I try to keep myself from getting closer to you but it's no use. The pull is too strong. I creep closer and closer. Far enough for you to still feel trapped in your cold isolation, close enough for me to melt…_

Ushio shifted her icy eyes at Senri. Her fingers were just a breath's length away from the knob. She held her gaze for a long moment and then answered softly, "Why would you care about where I'm going?"

But as gentle yet emotionless as her answer, Senri couldn't help but falter ever so slightly. He stood up and occupied his hands by sorting his many utensils in hope that Ushio hadn't notice the dullness she had injected into him. It was pretty obvious he couldn't give her a reply…

Outside, a rumble of a faraway thunder boomed across the broad sky.

_The part that annoys me the most, I think, is that you don't even know you're pulling me. I stand here helpless and you don't even ask why. But that's nothing compared to the __**reason**__ I'm so attracted to you…_

"Well?" Ushio demanded fully this time. Her patience was at the last of its supply, but she couldn't seem to make herself walk out the door without an answer. Months spent at Senri's office had emotionally changed her view on this perverted teacher.

Knowing that kinda pissed her off.

But Senri remained quiet.

_You came to me to say that you love someone else. Someone you know will most definitely not love you back in the way you want them to. Telling me that, you broke my heart. Yet you still try. You give up the one thing you can never get back—your virginity—to get the attention you need. I didn't know that my broken heart could still be trampled on…_

_Clink!_ A thermometer dropped onto the ground. Senri heaved his chest in frustration, bending down to pick it up.

Getting up, he turned to face Ushio, trying hard to keep his face composed.

"I just thought you had a new 'customer' desperately waiting for your lovin'," he finally replied sarcastically. His tone came out more husky and uneven than he wanted it to be.

_Even though my heart is already blown to shreds, pieces are pieces, and pieces are puzzles. The only thing that drives me to complete this puzzle…is knowing that you still have one thing left that is of importance to you…_

Ushio narrowed her eyes. Deciding to swallow her profanities, she huffed at him, turning on her heels to stomp out the door. She didn't need any more obstacles getting in her way of Haine. There were already enough problems going on—that pervert of a teacher would just annoy her to death before she could solve even one of them.

As the door swished by her, Ushio saw a little smile play on Senri's shadowed face.

That just plainly made her curious.

She stopped suddenly, turning her head to the side to look at him with a bewildered face. The space between them was disappearing slower than necessary…as if time stopped just for the two of them.

…_Your kiss…your true love…is still up for grabs. And I'm giving whatever it takes to get it…_

Senri kept his face hidden. The smile rubbed off and a sparkling tear started to trinkle down his cheek. It reached his chin and glittering…it fell to the ground. A bolt of lightning was visible through the glass window.

The door slammed with a creak.

_I love you…Ushio…_

* * *

"Tak—erm, I mean, Shizumasa-sama, are you here?" 

_It seemed like it was only yesterday that you found me. It seemed like it was only an hour ago that I was pulled out of the lonely darkness. I had sworn my whole life for you, but now…years after I first met you, I can see that even eternity is not enough…_

Touya held the letter respectfully in his palms. Looking around with pensive eyes, he found no one in the gloomy, vacant room. Making sure his observation was true, he checked all nearby areas and shouted his master's name twice more. The only reply he got was of a grumble coming from outside.

"Yare yare…where is he off to now without his pills?" he sighed, turning around toward the door. _Best to find him now before he drops unconscious._ Touya felt a small pinge of guilt for retrieving Takanari's supplies late after realizing the possible outcome.

_I was saved by your kindness and gentle smile. The smile that is now rarely seen. And I blame myself for not trying hard enough to satisfy you. Each time I hear your commands, I always seem to get something wrong. Whether the issue is big or small, I can never get it right, can I? But I know now…the only thing you need…_

He walked briskly, not waiting for the door to open completely before he slid through the space. Bad mistake. Touya tripped over his feet and landed face down on the floor. "Oooff!" He scratched his head and slowly pushed himself up. The letter he promised to give to Haine glided slowly to the ground, unfolding before it landed.

"Hmm…what's this?" he asked himself. He bent down to pick up the letter. He quickly read it over knowing that it was wrong and impolite, and then closed his eyes, smiling to himself. _Of course,_ he thought. He was eager to find Takanari more than ever.

_The only thing you need…is her…and I swear, I'll do my best to give you that true happiness…_

* * *

The maturing blossoms from the trees around the calm orchard rustled quietly in the wind even as the storm brewed violently in the sky. Sitting down in the midst of it all were a couple hand in hand. 

_I didn't know this was what it felt like to be living. It surprised me to know that my eyes were never really opened until I met you. I knew this feeling once before…but I lost it. Finding it again, I'm going to make sure never to take it for granted. _

"Maguri…"

"Hmm?"

"…Mag…uri…"

"Hmm?"

"Maguri! Look at me when you're talking to me!!" Maora whined, moving his cheek to face him.

The soft, warm hand on Maguri's cheek made him burn up with embarrassment. Maora noticed this and quickly removed his hand, joining Maguri's session of flushing.

"What do you need, Maora?" Maguri asked, his eyes trying not to trail upon Maora's face.

The concern in Maguri's voice made Maora guilty for making it so hard for him. Though that was the case, sometimes it was fun to test Maguri's motivation to say the correct words at the correct times. So far, Maguri was beginning to understand him better.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter anymore," he replied stubbornly, getting up to his feet. The breeze carried his skirt and rumpled it. Maora began pacing around the closed area, picking up daffodils that surrounded the grass floor.

Maguri watched with a pouting face, which quickly disappeared when he took in the deftness of Maora's grace. His fingers just gently touched the stem, and like magic it plucked out from the ground. For a guy, he was pretty good at being feminine.

Maora closed his eyes and took in the fresh air that blew across his face, giving into nature's calming enlightenment. The daffodils cuddled up in his arms while he added to its number. The essence of the petals flowed up his nostrils.

_We've been through rough times, I know. The pressure hits us from all directions, yet you still continue to persist with me. And I didn't. Now I live with the guilt of knowing that you love me more than I deserve to be. More than I love you. But that was then…this is now…_

With impatience and anxiety, Maora wondered when Maguri was going to say something. Or worse, do something.

It was worse.

Maguri stood up and walked slowly toward Maora with a movement like that of a lion hunting its prey. Passionate yet poised. He snuck up on him and wrapped his arms around his waist, lifting him up in a bridal style. And before Maora could think, much less talk, Maguri planted a soft kiss on Maora's forehead.

"You know I'm not good at this…" he whispered in Maora's ear. Maora remained speechless and lightheaded after the sudden action. He tried to focus on his breathing until Maguri's velvet voice silenced it. "That just means _you_ have to show me what to do." Maora gasped at those emotion-filled words, feeling for once, true contentment. His eyes glittered with holding tears of joy.

Without any other words, Maguri placed Maora to his feet and held him around his shoulders, resting his head onto Maora's—their eyes locked into place with one another.

The daffodils released from Maora's hold when he too put his arms around Maguri's flank. And the flower petals that broke free from its stem…went swirling in the harmonizing wind around the fated couple. Sprinkles of rain began to accompany the circling blossoms.

_I'm going to do my best, my absolute best to beat you at your own game. You loved me, so now I'll return it twice-fold…_

* * *

"Why?" Kusame inquired for the third time. A streak of lightning glowed upon his face while thunder crackled above him. He bore his eyes into Komaki, trying to find a gesture—a clue to figure out what she was hiding. Anything that would help. 

Komaki stared back at him with a painful expression, her lips difiantly pursed together. A lump began to build quickly in her throat. She wondered why it wasn't going to burst in its tight place. Silence remained for a long minute.

He had enough. "Come on!" he yelled, "It's not hard to answer such a simple question as that!" Both of his hands were balled up in a fist; his nails dug deep into his palms, his knuckles stretched pale as snow. They were now shaking with anger rather than chill.

Komaki was startled at the sudden break of noise. Her mind fought whether she should speak back or hold her tongue.

_Why is it that the Earth is the only inhabitated place on the universe? What is it that makes the sky blue? What is it about you that are as confusing as these other questions? I, who usually distinguish people and things as either black or white, don't understand why you are the only one in the gray…_

"H-how is it not hard f-for me!?" Komaki decided to say with chattering teeth. Her effort to control her pitch pulled through, since whatever she said had came out as a loud whisper. She gulped, shivering when a draft came from her right.

Kusame was baffled by her rhetorical question. "What do you…mean?" he mumbled. His feet automatically moved up closer as if Komaki was a great art piece.

Komaki's eyes burned with such loathingness that she decided to give up on any self-control she had left. It hurt so much she was surprised she had any self control at all. Her head felt like exploding with the pressure that was pushed up there.

She closed the space between them and looked up into his face, screaming avidly, "What don't you get about it!!! How could I accept that letter when we both know that you like Haine!! To see something like that appear in front of me, and being in the middle of it all…of course it's hard for me."

Another line of lightning split inbetween the two, making their shadows stretch farther on the ground. The rain poured rhythmatically now, staining the ground and producing low puddles.

Kusame's hazel eyes widened in that second of flash and then calmed expressionlessly.

_Like yin and yang, on some days you are moody, on others you're indifferent. One day you boss me around like a maniac, on another, you shy away peacefully. You know everything there is to know about me, yet nothing about me. Sometimes that drives me off to the end of my sanity. Sometimes that drives me to the beginning of a new feeling…_

"I still have no idea what you're babbling about…" Kusame said indifferently, looking over Komaki's head. "But that doesn't matter." He smiled when he met Komaki's confused eyes. "What does matter, though…is why you're hurting yourself because of me."

She blinked away the confusing and hypnotic voice that compelled her. And this time it wasn't so hard to release that addiction.

She got the message. He didn't want her to feel bad because he didn't like her. But why did it hurt her more when he grinned while hinting it? Why wouldn't he just tell her to get out of his sight like he usually did?

"Don't cry," he pleaded when he saw beginnings of water swelling upon her face.

"W-why shouldn't I?" she retorted bravely. It'll calm herself sooner knowing that she was able to handle him at least a little. "I get it. Y-you don't like me. And y-you know what? T-that's just fine!" she stammered and shouted at the same time. Komaki backed away from him, about to make a run for it when a puddle of water slipped her off her balance.

She was so ready for the shame that would follow when Kusame saw her wet and muddy, but all she got was a small splash on her ankles. She just barely felt the touch of fingers that wrapped around her numb wrists and jerked her forward until the blood flowed more easier through her system.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his voice almost vibrating next to her ear.

She couldn't breathe—Kusame was holding her too tight. So tight, she could feel the warmth of his chest spread through her body like wildfire.

But she wouldn't be played with either. The only reason she was this close to him was because of that stupid mistake. Nothing else. She wouldn't let the bitter aftertaste hurt her even more.

"GET OFF ME!" she yelled again, shoving away from Kusame. The force of her push just made her land in the puddle like she would have before. Mud drenched her hair and clothes.

_The thing is, I don't know what this is between us. Like how I can't identify you, I can't identify this new chemistry. I want to know, so badly that it gnaws me down to the pit of my stomach. This mystery, your mystery, our mystery, I want to solve it all. _

Dirty tears sprang out as Komaki sprang up from the ground. A bruise would settle on her hip tonight. She glared at Kusame with contempt and ran off limping on her right side.

Kusame felt the sting of seeing her hurt herself to get away from him. The sting of fearing that he was hated.

_But how can I explain this feeling when I can't get any closer to you? I take a step forward, you take a step back. I move to the right, you move to the left. One day, when that insanity comes again, I'm going to pull you in, leaving you nowhere to hide. That I can assure you._

* * *

"Hey!" Ushio shouted, startling the thoughtful Kusame. Kusame turned around and spotted the famous lady panting a few paces away from him. 

Without letting Kusame answer, Ushio demanded, "Where's that Komaki girl?"

Strickened by the memory of Komaki's unbearable face not so long ago, Kusame remained quiet, mumbling something unconcievable.

"Where…is…she?" Ushio asked again, breaking the words up into separate sentences and glaring down at him.

Kusame let his gaze drop and pointed out the direction, still distracted by the encounter with Komaki.

Another wave of thunder blasted his ears as he saw Ushio's shadow pass him with a blur in the direction he gave.

* * *

_Life was simple. Emphisize the 'was'. I used to walk down a simple road, going where it lead, where it told me to go, and now I face a fork. It wasn't like I haven't faced a fork in the road before, but this was different. It didn't give me orders. For once, I was free. Free to choose which way to go, but pressured to actually choose which way to go. Sounds funny, I know. But it's the truth…_

"Matte yo!!" Haine screamed, gulping down a trickle of saliva that surfaced her lips.

Walking with hands in pockets, Takanari turned aloofly around to see the long haired girl bounce a step away from him. His eyes lit with a touch of amusement when he spotted Haine snoop under and around him.

"Where's that ribbon you had in your hands?" she asked innocently, cocking her head up to meet his face. She pulled on one of his pockets to peek in it, but was stopped when Takanari shook back.

The usual calmness of his face was fixated a little and now revealed a little touch of uneasieness. Nevertheless, he played it out as effortless as possible.

He thought for a moment, flatting his attire. "Ribbon?" he wondered outloud, knowing already what she was talking about. "Ah, you mean this?" He reached into the pocket under his coat and took out the glittering red, gold ribbon. With fluid aristocracy, Takanari held out to Haine.

There was no doubt. It was the exact ribbon. Haine gaped at Takanari's hands, not daring to solve it in her head how all this got to her idol, Shizumasa. But if he had the ribbon, and Kusame the letter, how were the two apart unless someone other than Maguri had read it?

Haine let out a silent gasp. Could anything get worse?

_One direction says Loyalty, the other Life. And not knowing which is right, I stay frozen at the division. I first decided to go toward Loyalty, but without realizing, I traced my footsteps back to the fork. With impatience I forced myself onward in the same direction, but kept circling back to where I first came from. Maybe I didn't have much freedom at all. My eyes strayed on the sign pointing to Life…_

"Earth to Haine. Earth to Haine…" Takanari said, waving his hand in front of Haine's dazed with thought face.

Haine shook her mind off her own little world, and turned her attention back to Takanari.

"Is something wrong?" he asked gently, smiling down at the kawaii expressioned girl. There seemed to be a lot going on about ribbons…Takanari wondered what was going on.

Haine opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by another voice coming from behind her.

"Haine!" the voice called out. She followed it, meeting the bloodshot eyes of her visitor.

_With less choice than I thought, I took the opposite trail, giving into the many pleasures it brought to me. But it didn't last. On my journey through that path, I could feel a strange pull trying to gather me back to the way of Loyalty. It was just an annoying pest pricking my back at first, but the farther I walked, the more it pulled. And now it stabs instead of pricks…Dammit, decide which way you want me to go already!!!_

Takanari stared at Komaki's ruined clothes; saw that in Haine's eyes, concern had already popped up.

She cared for everyone. Of course she did. It was an obvious observation…but important all the while. Simple, like 1+1, yet hard to model from. He admired her willing to love everyone around her.

_I think though, that the whole point of this retarded fork is to let me strive for what I want. Before, I could only see scrubs of grass and sand in my many courses of traveling. While walking on the path of Life, I noticed that instead, there were soft, springy carpets of grass and bunnies. Yes, bunnies. Well, you'd expect living things on a trail that says 'LIFE' in bold, but what I meant to say is that it rocked. Period. I don't wanna be away from this. I want to go on this trail. So that's why I'm trying my hardest to ignore this bleeping gravity force on me. Cause' seeing bunnies are all worth it…_

* * *

Unison: 

_To change you…_

_To give you happiness…_

_To protect you…_

_To understand you…_

_To choose my way…_

…_Is all I want_

* * *

Komaki couldn't stop the sobs from coming out of her throat. The rush of emotion hit her like an anvil. 

Haine stared back in astonishment at her little sister's pain-filled face.

"What happened?" she exclaimed without hesitation. For a moment yet again, she forgot about Takanari.

Takanari on the other hand was about to join in on finding out the Middle School President's issue when he was distracted by the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Shizumasa-sama," Touya yelled out loud, while Komaki and Haine mumbled something in their own space. "Here are your pills. Sorry I took so long." Touya took his master's hands and placed the advil in his palms, drawing out a canteen of water from the inside of his vest.

Takanari stared dumbly at the materials put in his hands. He shifted his head back at the girls behind him.

Touya followed Takanari's eyes, noticing the emotion that was interrupted by him. _Whoops._

They watched silently now, with Takanari placing the pill inside his mouth.

* * *

His head was raised high into the sky. The clear prisms of rain drops fell quickly upon his face and dripped down the ends of his hair. He was soaking now. 

In the distance, Maguri and Maora ran toward the nearest building to find shelter, stopping in their sprint when they came across Kusame. Glancing at each other, they wondered what the beaten expression on his face was. It was so familiar, like they've had it themselves once. Maybe they had.

"Come on," Maora whispered curiously, pulling on Maguri's hand. They walked up to Kusame who obviously hadn't noticed them yet. His head remained where it was.

"Oi. Kusame," Maguri started striding up to him. He looked into Kusame's eyes and saw the dullness ease silently out of it. There was definitely something wrong.

Kusame ignored Maguri's call, but let his head fall to face him.

"You look pitiful standing out here. Come inside and dry yourself off," Maora spoke for Maguri.

Kusame turned his head now toward the treasurer of the school. "No," he answered straightly.

Maguri shot another look at Maora and sighed frustratedly. Maora looked back with gentle eyes as if saying 'patience.'

"You have to, Kusame-kun, or you'll get a cold."

"That I can handle…"

Maora raised his eyes in surprisement. He knew it now—the familiar look. It was exactly the same as what he had dealt with. The sense of emptiness when something is taken away from you. The feeling that you have to go find and bring it back, yet you don't know what it was that left you in the first place.

The feeling of falling in love. For real.

And Maora could make a good guess about who that could be.

"You want her back, huh?" Maora spoke causually, smiling sympathetically down at Kusame. His hands were neatly folded behind his back, his head inclined in one direction. There was a glimmer of light in his brown eyes. Maguri took a step next to Maora, understanding the situation even though his brain usually processed information slowly.

Kusame contracted his eyes into a suspecting squint. "What are you talking about?"

"Come inside and we'll talk," Maguri answered, gesturing toward the Health Clinic building beside them.

* * *

"It's nothing big," Komaki answered. Tears wouldn't stop coming out. 

"Well, whatever happened, it's big enough to make you cry. And I can't take that for an excuse," Haine pointed out. She stroked the hair on the top of Komaki's head.

Komaki shook her head. "I just want someone I can cry the hell off of, that's all." She tried to fake a smile, but the sobs made it look deformed.

Haine hesitated for a moment, "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" She pulled Komaki in for a big sistery hug. She didn't like that someone she loved was going through pain. And she would know how it felt. And like Komaki, she would've never let anyone know.

"Yeah. I'm posit—"

"HEY!" Komaki answer was interrupted by another person coming into the picture.

Touya, Takanari, Haine, and Komaki's eyes went straight at the source of the loud voice.

With the dark clouds surrounding every crook and cranny, there stood the perfectly poised, lavender-haired girl. She came scurrying inbetween Haine and Komaki, and glowered down at Komaki, whose eyes looked back with the opposite description.

"Ushio? What are you doing here?" Haine asked behind her shoulder. At this point, Haine completely forgot why _she_ was even here in the first place.

The others viewed onward with suppressed interest, trying to fill in on the chaos that filled abundantly.

But Ushio remained silent, her eyes not leaving Komaki. She opened her lips to growl, "Where's the letter you had in your hands? And where's the ribbon from it?"

The drops of water that streamed down Komaki's face paused for a brief second. She swallowed that last sob and widened her eyes. "What?"

In the background, as always, Touya felt his hands grip on the note in his hands. Takanari also pricked his ears at the mention of a ribbon.

_What exactly is going on!?!_ Everyone thought.

* * *

-End of Chapter- 

**A/N:** It took a while to finish this…yeah…so again, I hoped you liked it. I got the next part in my head, but I need to figure out how to write it, so please wait patiently! I'm not stopping! Motivation is hitting me up close and personal!

Have a nice day! And please review!

* * *


	6. Potential

**Chapter 6: Potential**

**A/N:** Hello to all my readers! Thanks for reading this far into this fanfic. You do not know how grateful I am that it actually interests you!! Thanks everyone for the reviews and even more thanks for those patient waiters. Chapter 6, right at cha'!!!

* * *

From Chapter 5: So far, Takanari, Haine, Touya, Komaki, and Ushio are together outside somewhere near the student council office…in the rain. Ushio's mad, and everyone else is in a state of confusion. Kusame's in a depression he doesn't understand, and Maora and Maguril are with him. They are together in Senri's office. So, hope that kinda refreshed your mind. Here we go!

* * *

"Letter?" Touya stepped forward. The spotlight was now on him. Rain shot like bullets and drenched all five standing peers from a windy angle. The females in the group tried their hardest to push their hair out of the way, that is, all the females except Ushio.

Ushio's eyes were the most lethal upon Touya's. He flinched, feeling those lilac irises drill into his gut. The sky held an oppressing aura sophisticatedly mixed with an unknown factor. All five of them sensed this undescribable feeling, wondering why it panged so hard in the back of their minds.

Touya bravely continued, "Would you mind checking to see if this is the letter you're talking about?" He lifted it up to her, obviously failing to protect the extravagant sheet of paper from wear.

With a quick flash of an approval, Ushio methodically swished her hips up to him. The quick moment seen could have made any other girls' ego take a blow. She reached out a graceful hand and snatched it out of his hold like a business woman. Flipping it open, a spark of a threatening disaster was clear in her eyes.

Takanari studied all of their expressions. From Komaki's sudden worry to Haine's struggle to catch up with the ongoing drama, he could tell that no one was as confused as he was. Heck, Touya looked like her could take on Calculus right now. Takanari signaled his need to be filled in, but Touya just smiled, shaking his head.

_You needn't know since you're the one circling it all,'_ Touya answered mentally. Little did he know, Haine was actually the center of attention.

The world finally snapped into clear focus as Haine processed the last of the information in her head.

"Oh!" she began, clapping her hands together in realization. She began jumping up and down, pointing now at the opened letter. "Ushio, that's the—"

"Apparently, it is," Ushio answered grimly before Haine could finish. Her teeth gritted together in bitter anger and embarassment. She couldn't believe that any of this could have happened. Even she, your typical "smart and beautiful" figure, couldn't figure out what silly mistakes brought them here.

_Sometimes, you have to replace those 'silly mistakes' with a little something called 'fate,'_ a voice spoke out in her head. There was something about the voice that triggered something in her mind. It had sounded so familiar. Whose voice was it?

Unfortunately though, it wasn't enough to persuade Ushio's hard headedness into giving in to this 'rubbish.'

"You…you know this letter?" Komaki asked as Ushio bottled up her nearly exploding fume of fury.

"Well duh," she blurted out as a-matter-of-factly. "You'd expect the person who wrote this letter to know what it looks like, do you not?"

As soon as Ushio spoke out those words, she totally regretted it. What she wanted to be between Haine and herself was now on the alternative. She didn't need to deny that no one had read the letter. The broad smile on Touya's face was a huge hint itself.

Komaki brushed her hands across her cheeks, wiping away any signs of tears and stared out into nothing as if in deep thought. Guilt hit her from all around; so sudden it was terrifying. Kusame was now probably somewhere out there scratching his head in confusion because of her. The Masked Ball supply list supposedly given to her must have made him think that he had done something wrong to it. Komaki felt like a total idiot.

Her eyes blinked back to reality, and thinking fast, she shifted her head to Haine, notifying a quick, "Gotta go. Be right back. I'll explain." With that, she bolted away from the group, running with her hands over her heads in the needle shower.

"Hey! Matte—" Haine shouted after Komaki before she was out of sight. Haine was about to chase after her, but was stopped by Ushio's hard grip on her wrist.

She turned her face back, eye to eye with Ushio. Her friend's jaw clenched tight and sharp. Scary, almost.

"We're not done yet…"

* * *

The ceiling somehow felt like a burden on Kusame's back as he lied face down on the bed of Senri's office.

Senri sat, twirling his chair in his own corner while the couple stood in the middle of it all, watching the oppression wash over both of these idle faces.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kusame mumbled irritably. He was, surprisingly to himself, a bit curious about what Maora and Maguri said to him outside in the rain. He had felt—for that slight moment—that somehow they had understood everything about him. He felt that he had understood them as well—as somehow, some way, they were all connected to each other.

_Heart, mind and soul. Works together. Conflicts together. Can't live without one another. That's all it is. Simple._

Maora took a pencil from Senri's desk and flipped it up, catching it in mid-air. "Tell me," he began confidently. "Do you like it here?"

Kusame lifted his head up from his position, raising a brow in suspicion. Why did Maora want to ask him a question like that at a time like this; when he felt sick to the core of his stomach? However confused he was, it didn't matter. It wasn't wise to doubt the clever Maora. Maybe he was on to something.

"You mean here at school? Sure…I guess…" he replied.

Maora tossed the pencil up again. "What do you like about it?"

_How can he be so casual? _"Uhh…they have neat classes…and it's just fun…maybe?"

"Is that right? What's so neat about the classes?" Toss.Catch.

"They're challenging…and it gives me something to do…"

Toss. Catch.

"So you like challenging things." There was no question in the statement. "Is there any other things challenging in your life?" Toss. Catch.

Kusame felt like he was in a meeting with Dr. Phil. _What the hell is Maora doing? And Maguri's just standing there…_

"Well…let's see…there's cleaning the toilet. That's always a tough one at home. Making sure my mom isn't overworking as a mom is one too. Then there's cooking, sewing, Tachibana…" Kusame paused, rolling his eyes to think of more challenging things.

"And then there's the idiot Komaki." He stated finally. "...Jeez, you should see her someday. She's crazy. One day she'll ask you to do one thing, and then when you do it for her, she asks for something else. And the weirdest part about that is that she's always changing personality. But most of the time she's mad, and weird, and…and…erm…yeah," he trailed off, noticing how fast he was talking. Maora began to smile. "What?" he asked, completely oblivious.

Toss. Catch. "From what you said, it seems Komaki is the most challenging thing so far in your life."

Kusame thought Maora was going to say something more or at least explain, but had waited long enough to figure out that he wasn't. "So…what about it?" He sat up now, dangling his legs at the end of the bed.

Senri veered his eyes from the couple on his left to Kusame on the far side of the room, face indifferent, mind interested.

"You can't see it?" Maora awed, nonchalantly still. "Here, let's put it this way. Let's say you love sweets. But you hate chocolate. Yet chocolates are sweets. Would you accept knowing that you actually like chocolates because they are part of sweets? Or would you keep on denying chocolate from your taste?"

Silence.

Kusame thought for a second, making sure he got everything Maora just said. _What the hell does chocolate have to do with anything?_ "Um, well, technically, I don't really like sweets, period. But…if I did, I guess I'd have to realize that I do like chocolate. Where are you going with all this crap about sweets anyway?"

Maora broaden his smile. "Come on, Kusame. I know you're smart. Think! Put everything I asked you together, and then you'll figure it out and solve this problem!"

"My problem as of now is this huge guilt stuck in my head, and figuring something about sweets is definitely not going to solve that problem…" Kusame uttered as if it wasn't obvious.

Maora chuckled. "You'll never know until you figure it out yourself! As for you…" Maora turned his head to Senri. "Quit moping around and go do something about yourself."

Senri lifted his chin off his hands, his face looking directly at Maora. "There's nothing to do about myself…"

"Then what's with the face?" Maguri pointed out. He felt like it was his turn to take charge.

"Ah well, of course you would expect someone to smile their heads off on such a beautiful day like this," Senri retorted sarcastically. He twirled his chair toward the window, watching the rain flood his windows and make it hardly visible to see anything outside.

"And what if I do?" Maguri said, putting an arm lazily over Maora's shoulder. Senri caught a glimpse of their visible relationship with a little turn of his head.

"Hmph, some people have it different than others…" he muttered, jealously clear in his voice.

Maguri heard this and turned it to his advantage. "You can have it the same as us if you just try…" he tried to persuade.

Senri sighed. "I've already decided what I was going to do ages ago…"

Maguri couldn't figure whether that was supposed to be a good thing or not. Maybe it was best to leave it to his own.

Maora on the other hand, wanted to help, whether Senri needed it or not. Love was a thing that needed some contribution to make happen. It was the same with his relationship with Maguri. If not for the letter…they probably wouldn't get to know each other's feelings. But how to help him? Maora tapped his chin, and after three strikes a light bulb went off his head.

He whispered a quick, "Gotta go. Be right back. I'll explain later," into Maguri's ear and scrambled out of the health clinic. And fast too. Maguri didn't even get the chance to see Maora leave the building.

"Hey! Where are you going!" Maguri shouted to nothing, knowing that it was impossible to catch Maora now. He let out an exasperated breath, turning back to the lovesick zombies.

"Anyone up for a game of poker?"

* * *

Out behind the damp trees, Maora pulled away his attire, revealing another uniform from underneath. He took the hairclips off of his hair and shook it out, tying it into the common ponytail. Quick and easily, he found his cap, slipping it on snugly on top of his head.

With a smirk, Maora—Mailman-san—stepped out into the rain. He found a post-it and scribbled some stuff down onto it, sealing it up into a tiny envelope.

"I'm the greatest aren't I?" Mailman-san beamed, brushing his cat on the head. It purred, pawing the droplets of rain.

Mailman-san strolled down the path toward the student council room, knowing everything he needed to know, listing everything he needed to do in his head. After all, he was the Postman of hope and joy…

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah…I call him Mailman-san. I don't know why. Maybe it's my admiration for him, even if he is Maora. But whatever…I also prefer to call Takanari, Taka-laka. But for readers, I don't put that on…

* * *

Komaki ran. Or more like sprinted. Through all the puddles, all the muck, all the things a proper lady shouldn't go through. But if it was for Kusame, it would definitely be worth it.

Her lungs cried for air, but she tried her hardest to ignore the pain. And for once in a long while, Komaki felt the urge to laugh in relief. Kusame was still Kusame. He didn't write that letter, but he didn't like her any better either. But who cares? It was that Kusame that she'd fallen in love with. That guy who didn't show her even a bit of attention like anyone else would for a Kamiya member. If he didn't want her, it wouldn't matter. Because, she knew without a doubt, she would always love him. Wasn't that enough?

The heavy downpour blurred her direction of sight, but she could feel in her gut where that Kusame was. She pushed herself even harder.

* * *

"Towel, Haine-san?" Touya offered, showing a fluffy and luxorious garmet that was supposedly a towel. Haine looked at it, utterly impressed.

"Thanks." She took it into her hands, warmth instantly spreading through her skin. She sighed, rubbing the soft sheet on her cheek.

The four of them had come into a roofed place away from the rain after giving it all their tolerance. Ushio hadn't bothered to dry herself; her hair still dripped wet. She paced back and forth, damping wherever she went. Her mind was jumbled and crazed up. How was she going to say her feelings out with all of these people in the way? _If only Haine wasn't so naïve…_

Maybe it was best to give it all up. _Unacceptable._ Ushio wasn't a person to give up that easily. If she really loved Haine…she should just tell Haine straight up, with or without a crowd. _Even with…urgh…'Shizumasa'._

"Here's the thing," she began, turning toward an armchair next to Haine. Haine looked back, her face lit up with the concern you see when you worry for any particular friend. She hated that look. Why did Haine have to think of her as a friend? Can't she see the many things that Ushio had done for her because of her? She wanted to destroy it. Soon enough so that the next time they look into each other, Haine won't be looking at her as a friend anymore. "Haine…I…."

"Yes, Ushio?" Haine asked, not pushing her any further. She was completely clueless of what Ushio had to say to her. But of course, Ushio had been acting more fidgety than usual, so it had to be fairly important.

Takanari was far away from the coffee table where all the couchs were laid, yet was close enough to eavesdrop into their conversation. He studied Ushio's face, noticing the tremor of her lips. He kinda figured out the situation—if only a little. _Damn this Lady Hydrangea…_ he cursed to himself, scrutinizing his brows. Jealousy filled from his head to his toe. He didn't approve of this conversation. And besides, it wasn't possible…for…you know…two of the same…yeah…it's just wrong!! But as he said before, he was going to wait like a gentleman…for Haine's heart.

"I…I…" Ushio somehow couldn't get the words out. _I love you._ What was so hard about it? She had practiced day and night, proposing this to Haine, and now it wouldn't come out. Even in her dreams, she claimed her love for Haine.

_You're saying it at the wrong place and at the wrong time, baka,_ the voice in her head spoke again. Nostolgia rushed through her as she again, felt the familiarity of the clear voice.

She shook herself out of her somewhat out-of-body experience and gulped, trying once more. "I…….I…." Impossible. It wouldn't come out whether she wanted it to or not.

What was wrong? Somewhere, deep down somewhere, Ushio felt a second-thought injecting its poison into her system. Maybe through all her efforts, maybe through all the time she spent, it would never be enough to supply the feeling she wanted Haine to feel for her. The reason it was wrong, the reason why everything was wrong, was maybe because she was wrong. Yet at the same time, she didn't want to give up her love for Haine. No, she wouldn't let go. No matter what.

She was going to try again.

_Don't do it, _the voice pleaded desperately. _I know you don't want to. Just let go, Ushio. Let go…_

Ushio's trembling lips opened as she closed her eyes, "I…I…"

_Ushio…let go…_

* * *

"Full house," Senri announced, somewhat pleased with himself.

Kusame scoffed, throwing his hand down. The air in the health clinic had risen a bit after the simple hand game as a distraction. Maguri took up the cards and began shuffling. He handed them out, getting ready for another round.

_I wonder what that idiot Maora is up to… _he thought anxiously. From everything he gathered about Maora, he could figure that Maora was poking his nose into something he shouldn't. Then again, Maora always lightened up everyone's mood by poking his nose into things. This shouldn't be any different. He looked sadly at the hand he possessed.

_BANG!_ Their session of poker was interrupted by the slamming door. All three pairs of eyes shot at the direction of the sound, finding a gasping Komaki leaning on the door as if she just ran away from a mass murderer.

"Kusame!" she cried, rushing towards him. She pulled him off the round and took his hands, spinning him around in joy. "Why didn't you tell me you didn't write that letter?!"

Kusame spinned along with her, his head getting dizzier by the second. "Once more," he requested, "With clarity."

Komaki laughed, circling them even harder. "That party supply list you wrote got mixed up with someone else's letter!!! And I thought you wrote the letter, and now that I found out the truth, I'm glad you didn't!" she explained.

Maguri raised a brow at the mention of the party list and the letter. _So, it went to her too, huh? Seems like whoever touched that letter gets to have something happy…_

"I see…" he said. He was glad that Komaki wasn't mad at him anymore. The guilt in his soul died down to a small ember. But his stomach began churning violently. "Do you mind if we could stop spinning now?" he asked.

She giggled again. _Yep, Kusame is still Kusame. _"Sure, no problem!"

The abrupt freezing of her feet sent Kusame tripping over her. If she had known what would have happened, Komaki wouldn't have stopped so suddenly. But it was too late.

"GAH!" they both cried. With eyes wide open and heart racing at the energy of adrenaline, Kusame brought her down to the floor under him, collapsing her lips with his.

_EH?!?!_

* * *

**A/N:** YAY!!! I'm done! I'm done! This story wasn't made without the help of my yoga therapy. Of course, school delayed my uploading too…anyway, hoped you like it. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!!!

Please leave comments and if anything bothers you about this fanfic, send me a message!

Oh yeah. I know Takanari is not…BIG in this story…YET…Don't worry. He'll come out in the next chapter. With a bang.

* * *


	7. TIMEless Gifts

**Chapter 7: TIMEless Gifts**

**A/N:** Ohohoho, it's been quite some time, hasn't it? A year, perhaps? Well, forgive me for coming back suddenly, but the school year held me back a bit. Anyways, having been gone, I picked up a few things in writing itself. Consequently, rereading all my chapters was quite a pain. Let's spice it up a bit, shall we?

* * *

So far…Maguri, Senri, Kusame, and Komaki are in a hot position at Senri's office. Mailman-san is singing in the rain, while the rest are chilling in the Student Council Office. Got it? Got it. Here we go…

* * *

"Ushio…" Haine stared intently into Ushio's fluttery eyes. _She shouldn't look this pained, no matter what she needs to say to me…I really wonder what is going on…_

Takanari sat by the coffee table. He leaned over on his rested elbows and looked expectantly and impatiently from Haine's face to Ushio's. _Come on…COME ON! Speak! I command you! What ARE they thinking?!_

Touya, who stood by his master's side, bent towards his master's ears and whispered, "Pardon me for saying this sir, but a woman's mind is basically impossible for creatures like us to read." After a momentary pause, Takanari looked up in bewildered amazement at Touya's innocent, wide-eyed appearance. He awkwardly turned back his attention towards the drama unfolding in front of him, mumbling to himself, "At least I know you can read mine, Touya…"

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump_. With each passing heartbeat, the clock in the corner ticked behind. Ushio glanced at it, watching it read from 3:30 to 3:31. Her chest ached with pain as she felt torn between her jumbled feelings. On one hand, she just wanted to blurt out the mess she felt within her—the mess she knew that Haine had nothing to do with. _Have all I done been a lie?_ she thought. _During all this time I swore my irrevocable love for Haine; has it all been a lie? _She couldn't even bring herself up to confess anymore.

_You are pathetic, Ushio_. And with that, she leaped out of her drenched seat and bustled out the door. Sobs ran through her, as the words, _I hate myself_ played over and over in her head. Into the rain she ran, blindly past the stairways, past the cherry trees, and past the mysterious mailman…who quietly slipped a little note inside her pocket.

* * *

_Soft…so soft…could I…could I stay like this for the rest of my life?_

"Oi…lover boy…how long are you gonna lay there on top of your cute girlfriend?" Senri nagged indifferently. He glowered admiringly at the couple whose feelings were obviously requited. Naturally, the jealously monster swelled up in his conscience.

"Mmmhhh…" Komaki moaned. "Mmmm--ahrr--ahrr--AIR!" she panted wildly as Kusame pushed himself up. Her eyes pierced angrily at him from under her lashes. "…It was about time you got off…"

_Damn, a killer move. _Kusame could only stop and stare dumbly in return. Across from them on the floor was an awed Maguri whose hand gestured that he held poker cards; it was now empty as the cards lay sprawled all around him. Drool lurked from the side of his mouth.

"Woah…" was all he could spurt out. The young couple turned their heads to the witnesses and blushed violently. Lost in their moment, they forgot that they weren't alone just yet.

Komaki slid out from under Kusame and picked herself up. She brushed out her clothes and searched for composition. "Ahem…I guess I'll be going out to remake the supply list for the dance now since our Vice President here got us into all this trouble. If you'll be excusing me…" She turned towards the door, not quite wanting to leave.

"Wait up!" Kusame shouted out suddenly. Everyone faced to look at him. "I'll come and help…" he added in a lower volume, "since it was my job in the first place." Komaki smiled up at him, walking out with a shy Kusame trailing behind.

Vice President Maguri blinked at the slamming door in front of him. "D-did she mean me?" Senri rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Don't flatter yourself, bub."

* * *

Back in the Student Council Room, Haine gave the same puzzling look towards the closing door. On the other side, Takanari struggled to keep his emotions settled. His eyebrows furrowed, and then in complete lost of control, he stood up shouting, "WHAT THE HELL!! Here I was worried that my oh so precious Haine was going to be taken away by that damned Lady Hydrangea. The suspense was killing me—no, it stabbed me to near-death—and then she just decides to run off?! &#!!"

Touya raised an amused brow in return. "Sir, did the advil not work correctly?" Takanari paused, inhaling slowly. Haine watched her Emperor settle down with a startled blush.

"Sorry, Haine. I'm being a selfish jerk right now. Let's go find your _friend_, Ushio, shall we?" Takanari slouched unevenly towards the door, trying to grin reassuringly to his girl. Haine nodded quickly, trailing behind him. She noticed Takanari's stiff, tense shoulders that bottled up along with his urge to shout away his stress. It instinctively triggered her slender fingers to reach out and touch it. Takanari felt the soft palm on his shoulders before it even touched him.

He waited until Haine was close enough, and then suddenly…"AHH!" Takanari laughed as he watched Haine's surprise face. He had lifted her up on his back and now turned back his head to capture a kiss on her full lips. Haine held on tightly, massaging Takanari's gradually relaxing muscles.

"Thanks," he whispered into her reddened ears.

* * *

Out in the rain, Ushio huffed in front of Senri's office. She heard footsteps coming out and waited patiently to watch who it was.

"Don't worry, I have the list all memorized. It'll be done before we know it," Kusame sighed to the nagging Komaki. They bickered some more until they noticed a female figure watching them outside the office. "Hey, Ushio."

Ushio didn't bother to greet them. "I-is Senri inside the office?"

"Uhh…he should be," Kusame answered.

Komaki nudged him in the ribs. "Yes he is," she answered clearly for him, "and Maguri is in there too." She led Kusame out of Ushio's way and winked secretly at her. "Good luck!" she whispered. Ushio nodded with a half-smile and strode into the Office. Before she could wholly enter, however, she noticed a little slip inside her pocket. Inclining her head, she opened the slip and read:

_I'll be waiting for you at 3:45 by the school gate._

_ -Senri_

Ushio gasped, looking into the Office. "Since when did he?--" She thought about the possible moments when he was close enough to her to slip such a note and then fumed, "THAT PERVERT!" But her spurt of anger fell swiftly into nervous despair. "Now what should I do…"

* * *

"AH! It's soooo boooringgg in here!" Maguri mumbled. He watched the shower of rain outside the window, the blowing cherry trees, and on the far side…the mysterious mailman who walked up the stairway by the Student Council Office. _That idiot…_

"Hey, idiot!" Senri barked.

Maguri jumped in surprise. "W-what!?" he whined.

"You don't have to hang around if all you can do is stare out the window and say 'I'm bored', 'When's Maora coming?', and drool every 5 seconds. Just leave me alone." The irritated doctor spun away from Maguri and kicked his feet on top of his desk again.

Maguri felt pity for the lonely man. _If only Ushio shared the same feelings_. He stood up to leave, saying, "Just keep trying, man. You'll get her soon."

_As if._

* * *

"Special delivery for Haine-chan!" Mailman-san exclaimed happily in contrast to the depressing weather.

Haine, who was still propped on Takanari's back blinked down at the cheery postal man. "I got mail?"

Mailman-san nodded, searching in his bag for the envelope he had already prepared for. "Here ya go, Miss." Haine jumped down off of Takanari, who didn't bother to hide his disappointment.

Haine took the envelope and deftly opened it up:

_There is a dress for you waiting in a package at your house at 4:00._

_Please obtain it before it gets wet in this weather._

_Promise me to wear it at the next school event. _

_ Love,_

_ A caring designer friend _

"Hmmm…a dress?" Haine thought out loud. "And from a _caring_ designer too!"

"And also," Mailman-san interrupted, "Shizumasa-sama has something as well." (**A/N:** Nobody knows that the Emperor is Takanari yet!)

Takanari perked up from his down-cast. He took the package from the mailman and slipped out the note attached to it:

_Please give this to the corresponding person mentioned inside the package by 4:00 sharp._

_It is for both of your benefits. _

_ -A designer_

"What the heck? I have to deliver this?" Takanari thought out loud. "And for a stupid designer too?" _Benefit, my butt. _

Touya and Mailman-san snickered secretly from behind them.

"You sure are something, Mailman-san," Touya sniggered.

"Indeed. Take care of these two lovebirds for me, okay? I got some more unfinished work to do." And then the speedy delivery man went off.

* * *

The clock tower of the school chimed 3:36. Maguri stood directly under it's arch for shelter from the rain. He peered out into the campus, spotting a lavender-haired woman leaning by the school gate. From his far side, he noticed a delivery man dashing through the slippery weather towards the Health Office. And as Maguri squinted at the window of the Health Office, he saw a tall, black-haired man, whose eyes rested intently at the woman by gate.

* * *

Mailman-san panted heavily. _I just need to give one last note to Senri. Come on, Maora. You can do it. Beat the clock!  
_

_Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter._ The soles of his shoes gaited across the puddled cement. He peered up from under his cap towards the Health Office, but instead saw Senri standing out in the rain. He slowed to a halt, watching the doctor tread toward the waiting Lady Hydrangea.

Amazed and relieved, Mailman-san took out the envelope he had prepared for Senri and reread it:

_I love you. Look out your window._

_ -Ushio_

"I guess this last note's unnecessary..." he thought as he ripped it up.

Fate was always one step ahead.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh man. This was fun to write. Fun because I didn't spend an hour on proofreading it as I always do. And fun because I actually liked it better. It's less corny. Hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!! I love you guys!


	8. Last Dance

**Chapter 8: Last Dance**

**A/N:** So, here's my goodbye you guys. Enjoy the last chapter!!

* * *

The gong of the clock tower rang 3:45.

"Wah!" Takanari and Haine cried in sync. "I'd better get home now!" They had remembered the package issue each had to deal with by 4:00. Running together and not questioning the other's circumstance, they made their way to the school's entrance gate.

Touya followed the couple with his eyes and grinned widely. He walked back into the building, whistling as he craved for a nice, warm cup of tea.

A group of students brushed past him. Their childish squeals and whispers were hardly inaudible. "So did you guys get your dates for the Masquerade?" one of them yelped excitedly.

"Ugh! I'm so nervous to ask anyone, though…but there's this one guy who's been staring at me during the whole class time today. I wonder if I should ask him," another chatted.

"Wait, the dance is two days from now—Friday—right?" the third inquired. The conversation went on and buzzed in Touya's mind.

"The dance…huh…"

* * *

In an empty classroom from across the Student Council Office, Komaki and Kusame bent their heads over the blank sheet of paper ripped off from a notebook. Kusame noted down all the supplies they needed for the upcoming event.

"Whoot! I can't wait for Friday!!" Komaki sang from one side of the desk. She watched Kusame's quick scrawl on the messy paper. There was an impatient feeling in her throat as if she wanted to ask him something but was too embarrassed to do so. It was incredibly uncomfortable, but she had to bear with it…liking someone was hard.

"So much for making the party list all fancy…" Kusame muttered under his breath. All the events that led him up to this point seemed quite impossible to believe. But whether or not he was driving himself crazy, he'd accept it for one special reason…

"Shut up! Who lost it in the first place?" Komaki retorted. She looked up from the paper to Kusame's profile. _Perfect skin, straight nose, long lashes, beautiful eyes…and of course, the lips…_ Komaki shook her head to retain her concentration. _What am I thinking?_ The strange feeling panged her throat again. _Dammit, mention the Ball already, Komaki!_

Kusame felt Komaki's smoldering eyes on him. All of a sudden his hands started shaking. The words flowing out of the pen became uneven scribbles. Inside, he flushed, but on the exterior, he faked a calm expression. Kusame's eyes looked up from under his lashes as he continued to write. Was Kusame 

pulling the same killer move Komaki had done on him? "Why are you staring at me?" he asked straight-forwardly.

Even if it wasn't, it still had the same effect. Komaki flinched back in response, awed and embarrassed. "W-who said I was staring at _you_?"

"Nobody said anything," he replied in that honest tone again. "Gosh, if you're so mad at me, why don't you finish writing the list, then?" Kusame pushed the paper and pen to her.

"Fine." She snatched it from him and began to hastily continue listing down the rest of the necessities for the dance.

Across from her, Kusame leaned forward, propping his chin on one hand. He stared at her features for a long moment, complimenting out loud, "You have nice skin." Komaki looked up and blushed. _He's way too easy-going._ "Do you want to hang out at the dance with me?" _And he finally asked!!_

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She tried to sound uninterested, but she had to add, "You have nice skin too." Another round of redness came as her stubborn pride backed down.

* * *

The rain poured down violently, soaking through her clothes. Senri stopped a few feet behind her. He saw her shiver and lifted an arm toward her but stopped before he touched her. He let his arm hang in the air as he watched her wait for him. _How long has it been?_ He wondered. Then in quick response, he slid the doctor coat off his shoulders and dropped it on Ushio's head.

"You should take better care of yourself…" he muttered. Ushio jumped up in surprise. She turned around to face Senri, anger, sadness, and loneliness in her eyes.

"It's your fault I'm being like this!" she shouted. Senri staggered back. The cold look on Ushio's face crumbled him like burning paper. "It's…all your fault."

Senri didn't know what to say. A mountain of feelings wanted to pour out of his mouth but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I'm sor—"

"It's your fault…" Ushio interrupted. "It's your fault that I, Ushio…like you so much." She sobbed her heart out and squatted down on the ground, burying her face into her knees. Senri stood looking at nothing. _What?_ Was this a bad thing? But if it was…then why did Senri feel so…overjoyed?

Suddenly, he kneeled down with her, lifting her chin up from her knees. "I can only plead guilty," he said. He smirked, crushing her lips with his.

Beside them, another couple stood with their jaws hanging.

"Whoa," Takanari and Haine breathed.

"Whoa, indeed. "

Takanari and Haine whirled around to see yet another couple. Maora winked at them, holding Maguri's arms tightly.

"My, my, we're all soaked aren't we?" he laughed. Ushio and Senri noticed they had company. They stood up sheepishly, both of them scarlet. "Are we gonna see all of you at the dance?" Maora continued, smiling brightly with the dimming rain. High in the clouds, a part of the sun revealed its luminous face.

"THE DANCE!?" the other 5 exclaimed, including the dumb Maguri. They had totally forgotten about it.

Maora blinked in surprise. "You didn't know?" She looked up at Maguri, "Wait, _YOU_ didn't _KNOW?!_" She fumed at him with a pouting face. The rest stared blankly at the bickering couple. Maguri tried to apologize with praying hands and a fearful face. Maora's temper wasn't something to bother with.

"I was just kidding, Maora!! Of course I knew!!" Maguri cried. "I was—err—practicing my acting skills by pretending to be surprised when you mentioned the Ball! I'm serious, Maora!"

Bickering as they were, the others couldn't help but laugh away at the moment, at the tears, and at the memories they had just experienced.

* * *

Takanari stared at his watch as he walked with the address firmly in his hands. 3:50. _I should turn left right about here…_After passing a couple more houses, he looked up at the towering house in front of him. _This should be right._

From behind him, Haine walked through the front yard and into the steps where she spotted Takanari. _Wasn't he just walking home a few minutes ago?_ She questioned herself.

"Takanari-sama?" Haine asked out loud. Takanari raised his head from the address paper to the familiar young voice behind him. He was right about to ring the doorbell.

Spotting Haine, he blinked in surprise and greeted, "Haine? What are you doing here?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing."

"I asked first," he replied firmly.

"Well…I live here," she answered back as a-matter-of-factly. "Is that the same package Mailman-san gave you today?" Haine pointed at the bundle in Takanari's hands.

"Erm…yeah. The note in it told me to deliver it to this house by 4 today," Takanari looked down at the package with the address again.

"Really?" Haine's eyes widened. She fumbled around in her pockets until she found the note that she had also received from Mailman-san. "I got a letter saying that someone will give me a dress today, too."

Takanari lifted his head up for the second time. "A dress? Wanna open it to make sure it's the same one?" He shook the wrapped package by his ear as if he were a child during Christmas again. Haine ran up to him and took the package, lightly brushing his fingers in the process. Not noticing him blush, she ripped open the sealed bundle and revealed the teal halter formal inside. Sequins decorated the silky dress that flowed down simply to the knees. The ends of the dress rippled out in thin, opaque waves, like that of the ocean.

Haine gasped at the beauty of it all. She remembered the words that the sender of this dress had told her:

_Promise me you'll wear it at the next school event._

_Was this for the dance? And Takanari had to deliver it too…_She peeked an eye at Takanari who stood gaping at the flashy dress.

An image of Haine smiling in this dress appeared in his mind. _How beautiful…_Suddenly, he felt slender arms circling his neck.

"Thank you for taking this to me. I'll use it well."

Takanari closed his eyes and smiled. The scent of Haine's shampoo rushed in his nose. He inhaled, _So this is what he meant when he said, "It's for both of your benefits…"_

* * *

An orchestra of instruments played together in harmony with the song, "Salut D'amour" by Elgar. (**A/N:** It's a nice song—a love greeting from the Romantic period. ) Chandelier lights hung from the high ceiling, illuminating the marble room with light shades of gold and white. Twilight hung in the air. An evening breeze passed by with the singing nightingales that bathed by the fountain. Italian-based windows covered a long wall, displaying the full moon and shadows of tall trees in the navy background.

"Would you like a ribbon?" an usher asked a masked lady dressed in azure. The usher held out his hand, welcoming the lady with the red, gold ribbon. She inclined her head and gracefully took the ribbon. The girls would be handing them to the man of their choice that night.

As more couples gathered into the spacious room, laughter and music joined hand in hand with people dancing.

Out in the back garden, another young lady stared up at the glowing moon. The skin-tight, velvety formal she wore matched her lavender hair that piled in a fashionable bun. Her moon-kissed lips were the only part revealed on her face; the rest were hidden under a butterfly-shaped mask. She sighed softly. The ribbon in her slender hands fidgeted back and forth.

Off in the corner of the dance floor, a young girl stood watching smiling ladies dance with their mysterious men. Her own gown, simple and sweet, caught the attention of many. The lacey, strapless dress shined brilliant as the sun, complementing her golden mask. Her shawl hooked over both of her forearms, adding the touch of a sophisticated maiden. She continued to look with envy at the couples who filed into the dance floor.

In another corner, Kusame watched the girl. He watched her straighten her dress, anxiously wanting to dance herself. He watched her tiny lips mouth the words 'dumb Kusame' over and over. Minutes passed by, and yet he still watched. Then he let out a small chuckle and stepped calmly over to the maiden.

"Hey!" an arrogant voice broke out outside where the valet men drove away their guests' cars. Maguri paced back and forth, looking from one side to the other for a specific someone. Dressed stylishly in plain slacks and a sleeveless vest, he crossed his bare, lean arms impatiently. "Where _is_ that Maora?!"

Abruptly, he felt someone's fingers brush his neck from behind. "Your collar's undone," the intoxicating voice spoke softly. Maguri whirled around and merely blinked at the stunning person in front of him. Maguri had expected him to wear something…more…feminine, but here was a change.

The person smirked as he removed his mask and revealed his make-up-less face. A collared button-up hinted designer-related origins along with his light-mahogany jacket. His brown hair was brushed neatly back in a ponytail, exposing the man-mode of Maora. "What are you staring like an idiot for?" he remarked, turning around to walk back into the ballroom. A ribbon stuck out from his back pocket. "Hurry up and get in before you catch a cold."

Takanari took his stance behind the curtain, ready as ever. As emperor, he would have to appear and announce his platinum to the huge crowd. _I could shout my love to the world for all I care_. He grinned happily in his white tuxedo, waiting for the curtain to rise.

"Ushio," a voice spoke from behind her. A black-haired man in a normal black suit walked up to the dreaming woman. Ushio's body froze at his presence, and she tried desperately to calm her beating heart down. Good thing he wouldn't see her blush under her mask. She turned indifferently around to face him, letting out a quick gasp when she saw him mask-less…and without his glasses. "Do you think of me as just any other man who wants to play with you?" Ushio took a step back in the fear and the rush of the moment, but Senri only loomed closer. "Are you always going to confront me with coldness when both of us know—"

"Shut up," Ushio blurted without hesitating. She glared confidently at Senri's own knowing eyes. "You always move that mouth of yours," she continued, the adrenaline fresh in her veins. Her legs inched forward towards Senri now. "Always talking…sometimes I don't even try to understand what you want to say…" Another step, another step. "Why don't…" Ushio's hands touched Senri's face and covered his lips. "You use that mouth of yours…" She looked deeply into Senri's coal, serious eyes that began to spark a dangerous fire in them. "For a different reason…?" She kissed her hand that covered Senri's lips. The moment was long, and then suddenly, Senri yanked off her hands from his face and pulled her forward, ravenously roaming over her mouth with his.

"May I have your attention, please," the MC stated in the microphone. "It is time to let the ladies hand their ribbons to the man of their choice." A cheer rumbled through the crowd. "But before we get to that," the MC included, "we would like to present the first dancers to the floor. If you would please welcome…our EMPEROR!" Another round of whoops and squeals rang in the assembly as the curtains of the stage flew up to bring light to Takanari.

He smiled affectionately to the crowd, "There is one person who met, cared, and loved me. There is one person whom _I _met, cared, and loved, myself. There is only one person that has the ability to make me smile like this, and I would like to ask her to dance with me tonight." In the midst of the crowd, the teal 

dressed lady gazed up admiringly at her prince, while a spotlight swirled around each person in the room like a busy fly. "My Platinum, Haine Otomiya, do you mind if I can share this dance with you?"

The spotlight stopped directly above her as the crowd murmured loudly. Their voices couldn't be heard by Haine, however; she could only continue to keep her eyes on Takanari. Takanari stepped down from the stage towards her, bowing down and giving her his hand. She took out the ribbon she held and tied them onto Takanari's wrists, indicating that he belonged to her.

"Only if I can share my love for you," she said bluntly.

"Hey, Idiot Kusame!" Komaki shouted over the throbbing chatter. She turned on her heels to go find him, but then bumped into a hard figure. "OWW! THAT HURT!" she whined. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!? APOLIGIZE NOW!!" Komaki rubbed her bumped head and opened her eyes, meeting a stifling Kusame.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry," he replied with a laugh. Komaki flushed, not daring to make eye contact anymore. Awkwardly, she reached out for Kusame's hands and yanked them. "Hey! What are you doing? I sincerely apologized!"

"I'm not gonna hit you, stupid," she retorted haughtily, still looking away. With his hands, she took her ribbon and tied them quickly onto him. "I just want you to be mine for tonight…" Komaki added in a softer tone. Kusame grinned back affectionately at her, happy that she showed her true feelings behind that stubborn mask of hers.

He pulled her head to his lips and kissed her forehead. "I was already yours before you asked."

Maora and Maguri stood side by side…man by man. Maora watched Haine's joyfully beam with Takanari by her side and commented, "Haine-chan looks extremely cute today don't you think?" Maguri shifted his eyes towards Maora, displaying a lack of interest with his disappointed frown.

"What are you talking about? Her, cute? Pfft."

Maora snorted with a wicked smile. "Are you…jealous?" He angled his face to see Maguri pout. He sighed. "Close your eyes," Maora demanded.

"What?" Maguri twisted his head fully at Maora now.

"You heard me." Maguri continued to look confused, but obeyed without trouble. He felt Maora take his hand up and wrap something lacey on his wrists. "Open." He opened his eyes. But the first thing he noticed wasn't the ribbon…Maora had already stepped up closer to him. His eyes were digging themselves into Maguri's. "No matter what anyone says, this signifies that you're my property. You can't run away now."

Maguri slid his arms around Maora's waist, murmuring sleekly as he touched Maora's forehead with his, "But the catch Is the best part."

Maora giggled in his arms, revealing a part of his feminine side.

Out in privacy, Ushio leaned her head on Senri's shoulder. They sat peacefully on the bench in the garden, listening to the cricket's song.

"Ushio…" Senri whispered gently again.

Ushio glanced up at him from his chest, "I just told you, Senri…you're not allowed to speak unless it's something majorly important, I don't—" Senri silenced her with his mouth. While he did this, Ushio took out her ribbon, tying _both_ of Senri's wrists together. When their lips parted, Ushio continued, "Now you can't use your hands, _or_ your mouth. My, my, poor Senri." She smiled, moving her seat beside him over into Senri's lap. Senri returned the grin. He looped his enclosed arms over Ushio and pulled her close to his chest.

"I love you."

The three simple words vibrated through the voices of the four couples, tightening together--like the ribbon--their sense of unified love.

THE END!!

* * *

**A/N:** That's all for this story folks! We reached the happy ending!! WHOOOOOOT!! Ahaha, I hoped you enjoyed it!! Thanks again for all your support!! (:


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